"A Magical Garden"

Each garden I do is very special to me, and each is unique, of course. But then along comes a client who really wants to push the envelope and create a little world all her own. I’ve been working on this garden for a few years now and it is just starting to fill in and come into its own. (You know my mantra: It takes three years…and then I quote the old saying, “It sleeps, it creeps, it leaps”, which I think I heard actually referring to English Ivy…but I’ll go out on a limb and say it really applies to everything you plant). My favorite part of doing any garden is the process, and it is such a joy to watch fledgling clients expand their minds into the garden space. Some clients come with much knowledge and experience; others can’t tell an Azalea from a Dogwood. All are fun, and it is the brainstorming process I love best. We walk and talk; books come out and we look at ideas…gradually, the garden starts to take shape in our minds and we pin down what we would like to do. This particular garden continues to “tell us what it wants to do” as we complete each component.

If you have the choice, it’s always best to start with the hardscaping (stone/brickwork, fencing, etc.) because the building process can mess things up for a bit. These are the “bones” of a garden—in addition to the existing elements that you want to keep. I always
think of the plantings as the icing on the cake. My client and I have had the best time knocking ideas back and forth—through sharing books, internet research, countless e-mails, walks through the garden and visits to other gardens, brainstorming sessions on her screened porch…and the process continues.

We have done some very cool, fun and magical things. Brick with embedded river stone on the front stoop, raised herb bed, firepit patio and driveway. We transformed the existing shed. We added walkways and places to sit. We installed custom fencing and railings for the front steps. And we’ve tried to do all the flowers in black and white, which maybe has been the most fun of all. Plants with white flowers are abundant in the marketplace—but not the black ones!! Each year, new “black” flowers appear on the market due to breeding or discovery…and my client and I are continually e-mailing back and forth when we come upon something unique and just plain cool. What fun we’ve had!! The best part, though, is that we’ve become wonderful friends in the process. Her garden is enchanting and dreamy…and so reflects her personality and preferences. It is really a magical place, at all times of the year.

 

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Woodland Cottage • 2268 North Upton Street • Arlington, Virginia 22207 • Phone: 703.525.4540